Bringing your family

If you are thinking of bringing your family to stay with you for the duration of your course, you will need to make very careful plans.

We strongly advise you to come on your own initially, to get used to the University and the area, life in the UK, and to find somewhere suitable for you and the family to live.

You will then be much better prepared to care for your family when they arrive.

It is important to think through matters such as accommodation, living costs, visas, as well as schools and nurseries, if you have children.

Visas

Postgraduate students

If you are studying on a postgraduate course of at least 12 months duration, your spouse and children (aged 18 or younger) will normally be allowed to enter the UK as your dependants (regulations as at August 2013).

If they want to stay in the UK with you until the end of your studies, they should apply for a ‘PBS Dependant’ visa.

If they want to come for a short visit of up to six months, they should apply for a ‘Standard Visitor' visa.

Undergraduate students

If you are studying on an undergraduate course, your spouse and children will only be able to come for a short period and would need to apply for a ‘Standard Visitor’ visa.

The maximum length of their visitor visa will be six months. Visa regulations do not allow undergraduate students to bring their spouse and children to the UK as PBS Dependants.

We strongly recommend you do not bring your family with you right at the start of your studies. Allow time to familiarise yourself with the area, and to adapt to life in the UK. You will then be better prepared to take care of your family when they arrive.

Living costs

To see the estimated living costs for a single student see our Living Costs page. Additional funds are required if you bring your spouse and/or children.

For visa purposes, living costs for dependants are required of £680 per month per dependant, up to a maximum of nine months.

You would also need additional money for accommodation and set up costs for your family - we would estimate a minimum of an additional £5,000 for your spouse, and £2,500 for each child will be required.

Accommodation

The University does not have accommodation for families or married couples, but you can search for properties suitable for families through the Unipol student homes website.

They may also be able to recommend letting agents to you.

Remember that accommodation contracts are binding in law, so make sure you are happy with the property and location before signing the contract.

Once the contract is signed, you will be liable for the rent for the whole of the contract period, even if you decide to leave the property.

Nurseries

If you have children under the age of five and would like them to go to a nursery, please note there are charges for places in nurseries in the UK, including our nursery facilities on campus.

It is important to apply well in advance if you would like your children to attend the University nursery, as there is often a waiting list for places.

It is important to budget for the nursery fees as it can cost more than £150 per week to have a child in nursery on a full-time basis.

The postcodes areas closest to the University are BD7 and BD5. The school lists give the addresses and postcodes of all the schools, so you will be able to get an idea of which are likely to be in the University area.